Marin residents will have the chance Saturday to learn more about a proposed controversial mixed-use development at Marinwood Plaza and voice concerns about its environmental effects.

San Francisco-based Environmental Science Associations, an environmental science and planning firm, has been hired by the county to develop an environmental impact report for the project. A meeting is set for 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Lucas Valley Community Church to collect comments from the public.

Rachel Reid, county environmental planning manager, said the project applicant will pay the planning firm's $368,914 bill for the report, which is anticipated to be finalized early next year. She said the purpose of Saturday's meeting is not to get into a heated debate about the project itself, but to raise questions about impacts such as traffic, air quality, land use and noise.

"We're hoping we can keep the tone of this more mellow than previous times," Reid said. "Our consulting firm provides a facilitator, so having an independent person there might go over better."

Bridge Housing Corp. of San Francisco has proposed erecting commercial and residential buildings at the five-acre Marinwood Plaza site west of Highway 101 currently owned by Marinwood Plaza LLC. The Marinwood Village plan, which was filed in June, includes building 72 low-income and 10 market-rate apartment units on the site — an idea that has raised hackles in the community.

Some residents have said they don't want affordable housing in the area, fearing it will create more traffic and a financial strain on local schools and the already cash-strapped community services district. Others believe Bridge Housing's plan has deviated from the county's 2006 conceptual master plan for the plaza.

Outspoken opponent of the plan Justin Kai, a Marinwood Community Services District director, said the nonprofit housing developer's proposal starkly contradicts the conceptual master plan adopted by the Board of Supervisors. He is concerned about the tax-exempt builders placing a financial burden on the district.

"I have concern about it getting approved with no consideration to what the community truly wants for the site," Kai said.

In addition, he said there are a whole host of environmental concerns such as the plaza's proximity to the highway and highway fumes, and leftover toxins from a former dry cleaner and gas station.

In preparation for the meeting, a group of about 10 Marinwood residents, calling themselves the Friends of Marinwood Village, handed out 1,700 five-page fliers to residents that detail the plaza's history since it was built in the 1950s.

Group member John Hammond said he hopes the educational pamphlet will clear up some of the misinformation that has spread throughout the community, giving people a better understanding of how the project has evolved over time.

"Hopefully those people that have been the loudest in their opposition will cool down a bit and try to cooperate and make positive inputs to the project that will lead to the best result," Hammond said.

The Marinwood Community Services District Board of Directors approved a letter this week citing concerns it would like addressed in the environmental impact report.

The board wants consultants to consider the proposal's impact on the district, which provides fire protection, park maintenance, recreation programs and street lighting for about 1,750 households. Concerns were also raised about toxins at the plaza's former dry-cleaning and gas station sites, and impacts to the Las Gallinas Creek watershed.

The letter was approved unanimously Tuesday after a previous letter was approved March 11 on a 3-2 vote, with directors Bill Hansell and Tarey Read dissenting because they felt the letter went beyond the district's purview.

The previously approved letter, presented at the March 11 meeting by Kai, wasn't included in the agenda materials. The public didn't have the opportunity to review the letter, constituting a violation of the Brown Act, which requires the government do its decision-making in public.

Marinwood Community Services District Manager Tom Horne said he had prepared a simple letter for review by the board, but it was swapped out for a two-page letter by Kai.

"At the time I should have said 'we really shouldn't do this,'" Horne said.

He said the March 11 letter was brought back Tuesday night for changes and approval.

After Saturday's meeting, people will have until 4 p.m. April 7 to submit written comments concerning the project's environmental impacts.

Reid said the county will then create a draft environmental impact report. Once that has been released to the public in September, people will have 45 days to submit comments. During the review period the county Planning Commission will hold a public hearing to discuss the draft.

Once the final impact report has been completed in early 2015, which will respond to community comments, the Planning Commission will consider certifying the report. Then it heads to the Board of Supervisors for possible approval in March or April.

 A public meeting to collect and record comments for the environmental review of the Marinwood Plaza project will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Lucas Valley Community Church, 2000 Las Gallinas Ave. Comments can be submitted in writing until 4 p.m. April 7 by emailing envplanning@marincounty.org or by sending mail to the Community Development Agency, 3501 Civic Center Drive, Suite 308, San Rafael, 94903.